Pastor's Blog

Sorry that there was no entry yesterday.  We left the hotel early headed for the airport and I was going to post from there.  However, their internet service was down and I did not have access until reaching home late yesterday afternoon.  At that point, the grandchildren took over and the rest is history.

We thank God for a great trip and for His watch care over us as we traveled and over our family here.  My sleep habits are not the best on a regular schedule but the time change (only seven hours) has my body/mind confused.

Lord willing, I will be in the pulpit tomorrow morning and evening.  I hope to be joined by many members of the Friendship family.

I pray that your Saturday will be great with Jesus!

No real updates today.  It is my understanding that the attendance in both the morning and evening services was good.  Thank you to the members of the Friendship family who have been faithful!

We are in rainy Germany.  Our plan was to visit the concentration camp yesterday afternoon but the weather was not favorable to do so.  We did some other sightseeing things and went to supper instead.

Today, we are going to the concentration camp even though it is still raining.  I have anticipated seeing this for several months now so I will not mind getting a little wet.  We have umbrellas and thinking of all the Jews went through in this camp kind of puts every thing into the proper perspective.

Eddie & Sue have done a wonderful job of planning, and then hosting, this trip.  They have taken care of every detail.  It has been different for me as I have just been along for the ride with no responsibilities – nice!

I pray that you will have a great Thursday with Jesus.

This post is being written early (8:00PM Alabama time on Tuesday, 4/9) with good reason.  We are sitting in the airport in Israel waiting to board our flight to Munich, Germany.  It is 4:00AM here and our flight leaves at 5:15AM.  I will not have access to the internet again until sometime in the afternoon/evening.

Obviously, I do not have any updates since this post is early.  I would just ask you to pray for those for whom we have been listing as having needs.

We are on a regular schedule today/tonight.  Again, I trust that the members of the Friendship family will be mature and faithful.

Our Tuesday was spent in Galilee.  Too much to try and recount in this entry.  It was amazing to see the Sea of Galilee where we took a boat ride, the Mount of Beatitudes, the place where Jesus fed the five thousand, Peter’s house, a synagogue and more.  We then made our way back to Tel Aviv for supper, about two hours of sleep, and a taxi to the airport.

Today, we fly back to Munich via Rome.  A visit to a concentration camp is on the agenda.  I am interested in that especially since the Jews were remembering the Holocaust this week while we have been in Israel.

I pray that your Wednesday will be great with Jesus.

Alisha Vice arrived in Uganda safe and sound on Monday morning (Sunday night Alabama time) and is happy to back to the place where God has called her.  Pray that her next year or ministry will be productive.

Tom & Shari Compagner became grandparents this past Sunday as their daugher, Leah, gave birth to a 6 pounds 2 ounces boy.  He came about one month early.  They put a feeding tube in but otherwise he is doing good.  Pray for Brian, Leah, and the baby.

Eddie, Sue, Lisa and I toured the Old City yesterday – everything from Calvary, the Garden tomb, Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives, the Via Della Rosa, et cetera.  It was a full day of trying to absorb everything.  Today, we head to Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee and more.

I was in hopes that Michigan would win the NCAA basketball title last night.  I have a number of UM fans including, but not limited to, Ross Genzink, Dr. Mark Stid, Dr. John Nicely, Jon Duimstra, Brian Cochran, Chad Compagner, et cetera and wanted UM to win for them.  Congratulations to Louisville.  Could their women’s team also win it all tonight?  That would be pretty amazing!

I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus.

It is my understanding that Bro. Jim Chinners (morning) and Bro. Benny McGath (evening) did very good jobs of bringing the Word to the Friendship family yesterday.  I appreciate these men doing this in my absence.

I am also told that our attendance was pretty good.  I do want to thank the members of our Sunday School class for being faithful as I am told we had a room full.  Thanks to Bro. Curtis Taylor, Soy’s dad, for teaching in my absence.

We attended the only evangelical church inside the Old City.  The pastor’s message would have worked well in Friendship or any other church I know.  He talked about folks who only go to church on Sundays, folks who go to church on Sundays and maybe read their Bible some, and folks who love the Lord and serve Him with their whole heart.  We also joined them in observing the Lord’s Supper.  Good service.

We then saw the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.  We visited the Dead Sea beach.  Lisa and I rode a camel just to say that we had done it.

The tour in the tunnel last night was amazing!  We actually stood on the pavement that was there in the days of Jesus – wow!

We also visited a hotel that has the original handwritten copy of the hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul.”  Thanks for Ronnie Cottingham for letting me know about this.  Impressive!

We are about to hit it hard today in the Old City.

I pray that you will have a great Monday with Jesus.

We are on a regular schedule today/tonight.  I pray that the members of the Friendship family will be faithful!  Pray for the services and those who will be preaching.

I do not have any updates on those for whom we have been praying but do ask that you keep praying.  Especially pray for Alisha Vice as she is presently traveling back to Uganda.

Eddie, Sue, Lisa and I traveled to Bethlehem yesterday where we visited the birthplace of Jesus.  It was emotionally moving to be in that cave where He was born.  We then traveled to the shepherd’s field where the shepherds were watching their flocks when the angel appeared with the birth announcement.

We then came back into Jerusalem and went to the Upper Room where Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper.  It is not the actual room but is a location above it.

We visited King David’s tomb which is really not his tomb but a memorial to him.

Today, we will attend a church service before heading to the Dead Sea.  Tonight, we will go into a tunnel that follows the Western Wall which means we will actually be walking where Jesus literally walked.

I pray that you will have a great Sunday with Jesus.

I am told that the funeral service for Ronnie Glass was very well attended.  Thank you to everyone who helped in any way.

Jodie Johnson had to undergo another surgical procedure due to a blood clot.  She is okay now and will possibly go home today.

Miss Dollie Trout had to be kept in CCU following her procedure but is doing well and will possibly go home tomorrow.

Donald Loyd is very sick but may be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.

Kevin Woods continues to do well and is excited that he will most likely be discharged from the hospital real soon.

Donna Glass was able to sit up some yesterday which is a good thing.  She remains hospitalized.

Jim Chinners had a heart cath yesterday that revealed some blockage which will be treated by medication.  They will do a scan this morning and, if all is well, he will go home by noon.

I appreciate Bro. Jerry Hovel giving me these reports and for visiting the hospitals.  I know that the deacons, especially Carl Ray Moulds, have been doing a good job of ministering as well.  Pray for all of these folks.

Alisha Vice leaves shortly before noon today heading back to Uganda.  Pray for her safety in travel.  She is traveling through London so I think it will be Monday morning before she actually gets to Uganda.

Pray for Bro. Jackie Shelton’s family today as they go through the visitation and funeral service.

Tomorrow is a normal schedule at Friendship.  I praying that the church will be mature and be in their rightful places to worship God!

A dream has been realized as this post is being written from Tel Aviv, Israel – God is good!  I am listening to the waves of the Mediterranean Sea while overlooking it from a hotel balcony.  We arrived here at 4:00AM and are about to leave for Bethlehem.  We will then be staying in Jerusalem for the next three nights.  To say that I am excited would be a total understatement!  God is good!

I pray that you will have a great Saturday with Jesus.

The visitation with the Ronnie Glass family takes place this morning from 11:00AM until noon at which time the service begins.  The visitation and service will take place in the church auditorium and Ronnie will be buried in the Grand Bay Cemetery.  Pray for the Glass family during this time.  Thank you to those who are helping with the food.

Donna Glass remains hospitalized.  Imelda Davis’ brother, Henry, is in the hospital.  Dollie Trout is in the hospital having had a stent placed in her heart yesterday.

Bro. Jackie Shelton, retired pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist in Moulton (Wren), Alabama passed away on 4/3.  His funeral service will take place tomorrow afternoon.  Pray for his family during this time.  I met Bro. Jackie in 1984 while attending the annual meeting of the SBC in Kansas City and we quickly became good friends.  Great man of God,  great prayer warrior, great pastor.  As a matter of fact, Bro. Jackie was preaching a revival at Friendship in 1990 when the Friendship family extended the call to me to become their pastor. We have not been close in recent years but Bro. Jackie will always remain a “friend” to me and I thank God for the godly influence he has been in my life.

Rome is an old city!  I am thinking about bringing a mission team over here to do some clean up!  Seriously, yesterday began fairly early for us and ended very late as we toured and then toured some more.  The highlight for me was our first stop as we went to the prison where the Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter were supposedly kept.  My focus was much more on Paul while the tour is solely focused on Peter.  The Colosseum is massive and the Pantheon is very impressive!

We have another full day in Rome and then head to Tel Aviv very late tonight arriving early on Saturday morning.  I am so looking forward to being in Israel.

I pray that you will have a great Friday with Jesus.

Bro. Jerry sent me an update on Jodie Johnson saying that she is at home recovering.

Donna Glass and Konner Brannon are both in the hospital.  I do not know the details.  This is Ronnie’s sister-in-law and one of her grandsons (Kellie’s son).

Donald Loyd is in a local hospital.  Donald is related to the Baria and Lucky families.

One of Kevin Sprinkle’s brothers, Archie, is also in the hospital.

Kevin Woods remains in rehab but is getting so close to going home.  Pray for all of these folks.

The four of us arrived in Rome safe and sound.  What a busy city!  We are about to hit the streets doing all of the tourist stuff.

I pray that you will have a great Thursday with Jesus.

Good Wednesday  morning from snowy Austria!  Bro. Jerry sent me a message saying that Jodie Johnson was having surgery and I think that may have taken place yesterday morning.  I originally thought it was this morning but the time change had me reading the message wrongly – I think!  Either way, pray for Jodie!

I have no other updates other than to ask that the members of the Friendship family call the church office to make certain that we have enough food to feed the Glass family this Friday, 4/5.

Remember, the church office is now open from 8:00AM until noon and 1:00PM until 5:00PM Monday through Thursday.  It is closed from noon until 1:00PM each day in order for the secretary, Bros. Jerry, Kerry & Chris to go to lunch.

Lisa, Eddie, Sue & I enjoyed a good Tuesday.  We saw much of the area around Salzburg as we toured the Sound of Music stuff.  Basically, the folks here have never even seen The Sound of Music as they say it is an American thing.  I am serious!  However, they are making money hand over fist through the tourism the movie brings in.

We tried an Austrian restaurant (Burger King) for supper last night.  It was either that or McDonalds and I beat Eddie in rock, paper, scissors.  Eddie & Lisa had “liver dumplings” for lunch – not this old boy!  I just passed on lunch altogether!

Gasoline here is $7.12 per gallon if my calculations are correct.  Lots of bicycles in Salzburg!

It is around 30 degrees with snow on the ground and more falling today – awesome!  We head to Vienna (going to see where they make the sausages?) today as we fly to Rome tonight.  Hope to catch the potted meat factory too!

I pray that you will have a great Wednesday with Jesus.

P.S. – We are on a normal schedule today with one exception – there will be no 8:00PM Bible study at the house this week only.